Maybe It's Not a Place
by chickamoomoo
Summary: Sequel to Where the Broken Heart Still Beats.
1. Blind

Maybe it's Not a Place... Part: 1 By: Jean Lyons  
  
Hello! Bet you didn't think I'd have my sequel up so soon!!! I'm very excited and hope I have just as many faithful reviewers as Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. If you haven't read my story, Where the Broken Heart Still Beats, I suggest you do so or there will be things you don't understand. Some things will not be explained very thoroughly because they were in Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. So, without further ado, Maybe it's Not a Place.  
  
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"Katai," Kenshin whispered to his sleeping wife, "Wake up. It's late."  
  
Katai woke with a start. She hurriedly got dressed, kissed Kenshin, hugged her children, and went outside and ran up the street to the home of her brothers. Only three of them lived there now. Tetsuya hadn't lived there in a little more than twenty years, as he had married Sayoko a long time ago. Rei, the one she'd gotten a lot closer to over the years, had died horribly from consumption. (A/n: I know they don't call it that now but this was a long time ago...Now it's Tuberculosis) She couldn't help but remember him sitting up all night coughing blood. He was in so much pain, it was a horrible sight, but there was nothing to be done to save him. Manatsu had died the same way. This was Katai's only sister. Toshiyuki, Morisato, and Tamiya had all gotten married and moved away with their families as Tetsuya had. There were only Keiichi, Akitaka, and Ryo. And Ryo was sick.  
  
Kenshin watched Katai run up the street in wonder. It never ceased to amaze him how she never let her blindness get in her way. He remembered the accident. Or, rather, what he was told about the accident. He had been out of town at the time. Sano had insisted that he and Aoshi spent too much time at home and that they needed a break from their wives. Katai had agreed and insisted that Kenshin go with them. Kenshin was reluctant to leave her. She had finally gotten over her fears, and Kenshin was hoping he could stay home with her now because she was pregnant with their first child together at the time. Kenshin knew that unless he was there, she wouldn't hesitate to try to live as normal, and while normally Katai could fight well, climb well, etc., these things became more dangerous when one was pregnant, making them all the more appealing. Katai was a weird woman. In the end, however, she convinced him to go. He had been gone three days when Katai had gotten a notion to climb up on the roof to watch the stars one night. She was fine until she stood to get down. She tripped and fell hard on the ground. The child was killed and when she hit her head, permanent damage was done to her eyes and she couldn't see. Kenshin remembered coming back home and stopping to rest from the long journey in a sakura field. He was sitting under a tree alone when he saw Katai coming. He saw that she was having trouble walking and her foot was turned strangely and that her eyes were blank and staring. She stopped a few feet away from him. Her hair was a mess. Not at all the neat bun it was normally in. She was crying too. She was sobbing uncontrollably. "I sensed you were home." She choked out between sobs. After getting these words out, she had sobbed harder, making further speech impossible. "I'm sorry!" she managed to cry out. Kenshin remembered getting up from the ground and rushing to hold his sobbing wife. "What happened?" he whispered. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't get the words out. She just led him to their house, where there was a somber looking crowd. This included Misao, Megumi the doctor, Kenji, and Katai's brothers. Kenshin wondered why everyone was looking at them looking so sad. Megumi spoke up. "Has she said anything? We haven't heard a word from her since I told her." "Told her what?" Kenshin had said. "Well, there was an accident. She'll never be able to see again. And, Kenshin... the baby was killed." Kenshin remembered Katai's anguished sobs growing louder and his own joining them. Kenji, who was barely old enough to understand, had hugged them and said exactly what Katai would have said if it weren't her in that situation. "It's okay, Daddy and Katai." Maybe she wouldn't have called him daddy, but it's Kenji that actually said it, so...  
  
Anywho, back to Katai running up the street to her brothers' house. Katai arrived there. She sensed that Ryo was still asleep. She went to his bedroom, where she often found herself these days. Ryo was sick, and until Megumi came back from visiting Sano, who'd gone back to China, there was no doctor. Kenshin had written to Megumi pleading with her to please come and help, but in her reply, she had said that she would see what she could do when she returned, but it would be awhile before she would have transportation to get there and that she was very sorry, Ken-san. Ryo slept most of the day, as usual. Katai stayed by his side all day and well into the night. She finally went home to find her three children asleep. Kenshin, however, was awake. She could sense him moving around the house. "Kenshin, what are you doing awake?"  
  
"Waiting for you. You've been gone all day."  
  
"I'm sorry, but Ryo's my brother. It's my job, as his sister, to make sure he gets well."  
  
"What about your job as a wife? Or as a mother?"  
  
"Well apparently I'm not too good at that."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well I've let you all down so much; I don't know why you're still here..."  
  
"You haven't let me down. Except that you haven't been here much lately."  
  
"Kenshin, don't tell me you don't remember."  
  
"How could I not remember? But that wasn't a let down, it was an accident. A very tragic accident. I was only glad I didn't lose you."  
  
"But I've failed as a mother. Three times, I've failed."  
  
"Three? Other than our three children we have now, you've only had two others, right? And I knew about them."  
  
"There were three. You never knew about the first. Haven't you ever wondered about this?" she asked, showing him the familiar long scar across her stomach, which he had indeed wondered about a lot. "When I was twelve... It was just weeks after the first time. All I could feel was shame. I didn't want to live. So I..." Kenshin knew what she was trying to say. She had tried to kill herself unsuccessfully. His eyes widened in shock. "My brother found me. Ryo. He took me to a doctor and I was alright. But the doctor told me I'd killed my baby. I didn't even know I was pregnant. I didn't mean to, really I didn't." She was trying to convince herself, more than anything. Kenshin held her close. He understood, now, why she would feel she had failed. She had three of her six children die and she had been unable to do anything as she watched her brother and sister slowly deteriorate. She had felt helpless, Kenshin knew. He had been there with her, and while it truly was sad what was happening to her family, it pained him more to see what it was doing to Katai. He remembered how when he found that she was pregnant yet again, a year after the accident; he had refused to leave her side until their oldest son, Sei, was a year old. He couldn't bear to see Katai so upset and he loved his son more than anything just because he had made her so happy. Sei and Kenji and Katai were all his life revolved around. Their family grew. They had two other children. A boy named Akira and a girl named Harumi. The swell in his heart that came from seeing Katai so happy was punctured when Rei had become sick. Katai was an emotional wreck. They both felt so helpless. Katai because she could save him and Kenshin because he couldn't help her at all. She had become so depressed when Rei had finally died and then it was worse after Manatsu had died. He eventually pulled her out of her depression, but now Ryo was sick. It wasn't consumption, but something else. It was what Kaoru had had. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew in his heart that Ryo couldn't be helped. And Megumi would be there soon- tomorrow- to confirm it.  
  
"Come, Katai. Let's go to sleep now. Megumi will be here tomorrow. Maybe she can help Ryo."  
  
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*~*TBC*~*  
  
Do you like it? I do. I think it might even be better than the other one.  
  
Kaoru: It's not better. I'm still dead. And still here with this loon.  
  
Mike: I'm not a loon! Come on! You love me!  
  
Kaoru: **cries** No!!!!! I WANT MY KENSHIN!!!!!! Not stupid ol' Mike.  
  
PS. babybluegoddess, (Is that right) I have to thank you for the most encouraging review I have ever received at the end of Where the Broken Heart Still Beats. I liked that a lot. Take notes, ppl! I like when you tell me specifically what you like... What do you think is funny or sweet or sad, etc?  
  
Thank you to all of the reviewers from Where the Broken Heart Still Beats and I hope you all enjoy this! 


	2. Ryo

Maybe it's Not a Place... Part 2 By: Jean Lyons  
  
Two chappies in the sane day? Do you love me or what? And to Ahari Musici (sorry if I spelled it wrong) I have to say... there's a reason I didn't explain what happened to that guy. You'll see him soon. Maybe not soon, but he's in the story somewhere.  
  
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Katai, again, slept later than usual. Kenshin woke her up again and told her to go to Ryo. She did, but she didn't run as usual. She was a bit happier. Megumi would be coming that day to help Ryo. She noticed Kenshin hadn't looked nearly as hopeful as she did. She stopped at Kenji's house on the way. She wanted to stop and tell her "grandchildren" hello. They weren't her grandchildren because Kenji wasn't her son, but he might as well have been. He was only three when Katai had met Kenshin. She remembered the day she met Kenshin and Kenji very clearly. She had been outside keeping an eye on some of the children from around Tokyo. She used to do that a lot. Kenshin was wanting to take a walk without his son for once and the child cried every time he would walk away leaving him with Kenshin's previous wife. Then Kenshin's previous wife had died. He had left Kenji with Katai for a few days while he went to bury her.  
  
So she stopped in the doorway of Kenji's house, greeted by Kenji's young wife, Kotori. Mitsune, the older of her two grandchildren, was three years old. The younger, Kira, was only one. They were adorable girls. They looked just like their mother. Except that they had Kenji's blue eyes. The two small children came running to her. She sensed them coming and kneeled down to catch them. She hugged them both tightly. Kenji came out of the kitchen, where he had been repairing one of Mitsune's small toys, to say hello. "So how's Uncle Ryo?"  
  
"Terrible. I'm on my way there. Megumi's supposed to get there soon. Maybe she can help him."  
  
"I think dad said the other day that it was what my mom had."  
  
"So he thinks Ryo's going to die?"  
  
"I think so. I think he just wrote to Megumi to keep you happy. But I don't know if he's right. I don't know what mom had so it might not be the same thing. We'll just have to wait and see what Megumi says. Mom just died because there wasn't a doctor around then. I think. Maybe we should go, too. Kotori? Should we go?"  
  
"Yes. I think Ryo needs us all just now, isn't that right?"  
  
"Well, if we're going, let's go. Megumi will be there soon." So Kenji picked up the two little girls and followed his wife and step-mother outside.  
  
***  
  
Megumi finally arrived. She had been in Ryo's room for hours, leaving Katai to wait outside in Kenshin's arms. She finally came out to them, a solemn look on her face. "Katai..." she whispered. She laid a hand on the worried woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Katai. There's nothing I can do. Ryo's going to die."  
  
Katai pushed Megumi's hand away. No one could stop her screaming. "Can't you do anything? You're a doctor! It's your job! You're supposed to be able to help him!" Katai tried to lash out at the doctor, but Kenshin held her back. He turned Katai to face him. Her face was red and streaked with tears. She jerked away from him. "My brother's not going to die! I won't let him die!" Megumi tried unsuccessfully to comfort her. "Stay away from me! I don't ever want to see you again!" She jerked away from everyone. She hit her head on the wall a few times before she collapsed in a heap on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She could be heard muttering, "He's not going to die, he's not going to die, he's not going to die," over and over. Kenshin went and kneeled in front of her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up so she was forced to look at him.  
  
"Katai, there's nothing that can be done. Ryo's going to die, that he is. You cannot deny this fact."  
  
"He's not going to die! He can't die!" she sobbed.  
  
"Look at me and say it, Katai. 'My brother is going to die.' You can't deny it anymore."  
  
"I can't, Kenshin. I just can't!"  
  
"Say it. 'My brother is going to die.'"  
  
"No!"  
  
He shook her shoulders. "Say it!"  
  
"I can't!"  
  
"Say it!"  
  
"My..."  
  
"That's it. Say it."  
  
"My brother... He's... he's going to... My brother's going to... I can't, Kenshin!"  
  
"Say it."  
  
"My brother... Ryo... He's... He's... He's going to... He going to die? He's going to die. OH MY GOD, KENSHIN, MY BROTHER IS GOING TO DIE!!!"  
  
"I know, Katai. It's alright."  
  
"He's going to die..."  
  
"Shhh... It's okay..." they sat there this way for a long while, her collapsed on his shoulder sobbing and him trying to comfort her to no avail. Finally, the others in the room joined in trying to console her. She pushed them all away except for Kenshin. He sat there in the floor holding her, rocking her back and forth and rubbing her back, as if she were a small child. Ryo was going to die. And all they could do was wait. 


	3. Insane

Maybe it's Not a Place Part 3 By Jean Lyons  
  
Sorry this has taken so long.... I've been spending more time reading than writing... I've been reading the RK manga, finally. I need to find a way to put Kamatari in this story... He's/she's the coolest!!! Poor Misao, she found out that Kamatari was a guy the WRONG way... But it was hilarious! He kinda... um... showed her.  
  
Misao: Oh my god, it's a freakin' elephant!!!  
  
That's what she said... That would be a compliment to any guy but him. I think I might copy that scene into my bio so that everyone will know once and for all the gender of Kamatari!  
  
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Ryo finally died, leaving a very broken up Katai. Katai was going insane. She would be perfectly fine one minute, then homicidal the next. They were afraid she was bipolar, but Megumi couldn't really tell them, because she was the one Katai was trying to kill. Of course, Kenshin always managed to restrain her and eventually calm her down. He once more hid her sword from her, which wasn't hard considering that Katai was blind. Kenshin still worried. Not only was his wife losing her mind, but Megumi was in danger because of this.  
  
Kenshin, being the calm person that he was, could generally keep Katai fairly subdued, so the only time anyone was in danger was if Kenshin wasn't there and no one could restrain Katai. Normally, if Sei and Kenji were around, the two of them could restrain her with some difficulty, but only id she was attacking someone other than Megumi. If she was attacking Megumi, it was with such ferocity that only Kenshin could hold her back.  
  
She had a lot of pent up frustration and her favorite people to blame for this were Megumi and the still nameless man that had raped her so long ago. Since the man hadn't been seen in twenty years, she mostly just took her anger out on the poor doctor.  
  
The Man-being-gone-for-20-years was an arrangement Katai liked, but unfortunately, it wasn't to last.  
  
Kenshin was outside doing laundry (Katai hated the job) when an unpleasantly familiar man walked up. Kenshin continued with the laundry, not looking up.  
  
"So you married even after all that, huh?" said the man.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Got kids?"  
  
"Three."  
  
"Why won't you look at me?"  
  
"I don't want to see you."  
  
"You think if you don't look at me I won't be real? Let me tell you something. I'm real. And I'm here. Now where is she? I've got some things to say to her."  
  
"She's not home."  
  
"You sound mad."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You really hate me don't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Let me tell you something that'll make you hate me more. I'm the least sorry for what I did. I'd do it again, but prison wasn't much fun. Your police friend, Saitou was his name, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"He turned me in. That's where I've been all these years. Just got released today, thought I'd honor you with a friendly visit."  
  
"I'm not feeling very sociable today, that I am not. Please leave." Flecks of gold sparkled in his eyes. To someone that knew him well, this would have been warning enough.  
  
"Why? You don't think you can do anything about it, do you?"  
  
Kenshin dried his hands on a nearby towel and stood up. He was about a foot shorter than the man, but his height had never stopped him killing anyone he had to during the Bakumatsu.  
  
"You gonna kill me? All because I stuck my dick in your wife's hot little hole? God, you're crazy."  
  
The hitokiri within Kenshin whispered, "Are you going to let him talk to you this way? About your wife?"  
  
"I won't let you talk about my wife that way!" Kenshin yelled, drawing his sword.  
  
Just then, Katai stepped into the yard. "What on earth...KENSHIN, NO!!!!!!" She ran to him and dragged him backward by his neck. "Kenshin, what on earth are you doing? Give me that." She took his sword and approached the man. If anyone would kill this man, it would be her. Within seconds, the man was lying on the ground, Katai's foot on his chest, keeping him from getting up, sword pointed straight down at his throat. "Kenshin?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Should I?"  
  
"Let him go."  
  
She handed the sword back to its rightful owner and let the man up. "Just know, that if you come anywhere near here again, I'll not hesitate to kill you. Even he won't stop me next time."  
  
"Just leave," said Kenshin.  
  
"Kenshin?" said Katai, "I would have killed him. Why didn't you let me?" She knew the answer.  
  
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~*TBC*~  
  
I know, I know, I'll have your list of complaints soon, right? Too much death, she can't be insane, too short, Kenshin went Battousai on someone... etc. etc. etc.  
  
Sorry.  
  
I'll try to work on my cage of dead ppl, which Ryo has joined.  
  
Kaoru: Yay!!! It wasn't the rapist guy!  
  
Mike: Yay!!! **Hugs Kaoru**  
  
Kaoru: **Tries to kill Mike but realizes with a frown that he's already dead.**  
  
Bye all!!!  
  
Sushi and Sake, Jean ^_^ 


End file.
